Charity branches out at Dracut school

Student's 'Giving Tree' captures Christmas spirit hands down

By John Collins, jcollins@lowellsun.com

Updated:
12/11/2012 08:47:10 AM EST

DRACUT -- For five straight days, one of Skylar Unger's 12-year-old classmates at Lakeview Junior High picked a paper mitten from the "Giving Tree" Skylar had set up in the school's lobby and took it home.

Each day, as she passed through the lobby reading the writing on the Giving Tree's mittens asking for the simplest items -- pants, shirts, boots, gloves -- that less fortunate Lowell and Dracut residents did not have and hoped to get as Christmas presents, Skylar's compassionate schoolmate could not resist taking home yet another mitten, Skylar's mom, Fawn Unger, reported.

The girl's mom finally had to tell her to stop.

"She told her daughter she understood that she feels bad, but one family couldn't fulfill every wish on the tree," Fawn Unger said.

Twelve-year-old Skylar believes if more community members like her classmate pitch in, however, they can collectively fulfill all wishes remaining on her Giving Tree, she said Monday.

Skylar is a seventh-grader whose personal list of favorite things includes: animals, studying science (with an eye toward becoming a veterinarian), celebrating Christmas with family and friends, and volunteering at the Nashua Soup Kitchen and shelter, as she does regularly, she said.

"Skylar serves dinner to the homeless, and helps out the disabled," said Fawn Unger. "She loves to be around them, treats them with respect, and takes charge, with much leadership and compassion. Helping those less fortunate has always been something my daughter has held near and dear to her heart.

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As a sixth-grader last year, Skylar attended the Englesby Intermediate School in Dracut, which had a traditionally-decorated Christmas tree in its lobby, she said. As this holiday season neared, Skylar approached Lakeview Junior High Vice-principal Rick McElhinney with her idea to erect a tree in her new school's lobby -- with a socially generous twist.

After doing some research to find a local nonprofit agency that may be under-served and could use a boost, Skylar and her mother learned of The Wish Project, (www.thewishproject.org), a Lowell-based nonprofit that helps to place families from homeless shelters in low-income housing. Wish Project Coordinator Jill Maker told the Ungers she was heading a project called the "Mitten Tree," which aimed to fulfill Christmas wishes of 98 "hotel-homeless" families -- a total of 300 individuals.

Skylar then decided to make The Wish Project's Mitten-Tree mission her own, she said.

"I wanted these families to know that people care, and that they're not forgotten about, especially at this time of the year," said Skylar. "They're only asking for one special gift. I'm hoping that through these donations, we will be able to help their wishes come true, and give them a magical holiday."

Skylar said in building the Giving Tree, a daylong November project, she combined an evergreen fir-wood trunk with synthetic branches. There is also a bird's nest in the middle, and gold star on top. Hanging on thin metal hooks from the tree's branches are the tree's most purposeful items: Paper mittens, containing the individual gift wishes of needy and hopeful area recipients.

On Nov. 21, the day before Thanksgiving, Skylar "planted" her Giving Tree in the lobby of the school, she said.

As of Monday, 97 mittens dangled from the Giving Tree. Though 200 mittens had already been plucked from the tree to date by generous members of the school community -- including several Dracut teachers and administrators who took home a handful of mittens each, Fawn Unger said -- Skylar admitted she was a bit worried some mittens might remain on the tree past the announced Dec. 20 gift-giving deadline.

When Skylar was asked what, if anything, she wants for herself for Christmas, she had to think awhile.

"Well, I hope to maybe get a pair of Ugg boots," Skylar said, before quickly returning her focus to the season of giving, not receiving.

"When I see this many people who don't really have the things they need, my thought is: It's more important that they get the things they need, because I already have nice things," said Skylar. "It feels better to give than to receive."

Most of the remaining 97 mittens on the Giving Tree at Lakeview Junior High School contained wishes for gift items that cost about $15 and $20, Fawn Unger noted.

McElhinney, the school's vice principal, said anyone wishing to contribute any amount toward fulfilling the wishes of the remaining mittens on Skylar Unger's Giving Tree are welcome to send a check, made out to "Fawn Unger/Giving Tree Fund," in a letter mailed to the school's address: 1570 Lakeview Ave., Dracut, MA, 01826, with "attention Mr. McElhinney" written on the outside of the envelope.

Skylar and her mom will use any donations to purchase the wish items on the remaining mittens, they said.

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